The Cold and the Careful
by thenYES
Summary: Matthew/Mary modern AU. Mary's the governor's daughter and Matthew's the new young speechwriter hired by her father. Follows the general arc of S1, updated into modern America and with some slight changes.
1. Chapter 1: A Bitter Morning

(*quick notes about the setting, etc. are at the bottom of the first chapter, if you're interested*)

Chapter 1: A Bitter Morning

"Sorry I'm late, I got stuck behind the slowest car on the way here," Mary said breathlessly as she strode into the sun-filled dining room, running one hand through her freshly styled hair and smoothing her impeccably pressed grey pencil skirt with the other.

"Oh nonsense, dear," her mother, Cora, said warmly, getting up to hug her in greeting. "Come and eat, we've only just started and I left a plate for you here." She gestured to a chair near the head of the long table, between Mary's sister, Edith, and her father, Robert. Mary sat and pulled out her napkin, draping it carefully over her lap.

"I almost killed someone on the way over here, I was so impatient," Mary complained as Cora sat back down across from her. "Everyone was driving as if they had all the time in the world, I could hardly believe it. It's a Monday morning, shouldn't people be hurrying in to work? Not driving at a snail's pace down Abbey Avenue. Pass the coffee, Edith," she said impatiently, pointing at the coffee pot in front of Edith.

"It's just breakfast, quit whining. Besides, _you're_ not hurrying in to work, are you?" Edith said as she reached over and set the coffee pot down rather brusquely on the table, closer to Mary but still far enough away that Mary had to stretch for it.

"Well, Edie, I wouldn't expect you to understand. After all, it's just a short walk from here upstairs to your room, isn't it?" Mary replied snidely, pouring herself a steaming cup of coffee and glaring at Edith over the rim as she blew on it gently to cool it. Edith glared back. Hardly the closest of sisters, Mary never lost an opportunity to mock Edith about living at home. Not that Mary was really much more independent: Mary's swanky apartment was only a few miles away and was mostly paid for by her share of the trust fund. Monday morning breakfasts, which had been a tradition in the Crawley family ever since the girls were little, were almost always filled with bickering between Mary and Edith, and yet Mary never missed a breakfast. She believed in tradition, and besides, it was one of the only times now that she got to see her whole family together, especially since her father had become Governor. He was usually so busy with legislative meetings and political functions and state dinners that she almost never had the chance to see him, except for these Monday morning breakfasts. And even then, it barely seemed to matter. Robert, seated at the head of the table, had hardly noticed when Mary had come in and was instead turned away from her, deep in conversation with Mary's youngest sister, Sybil. Mary glanced over at him as she spread butter on a slice of French toast.

"...incredible, really, I can't believe how quickly he's gotten settled and he's just brilliant, so energetic, I'm telling you, stealing him from that local campaign office in Lowell was the best thing I've done..." Robert was saying to Sybil, waving his fork in the air in enthusiasm. Mary looked to Sybil's grinning, surprised face and then back to Robert.

"What's that you're talking about, Dad?" Mary asked curiously. It was Sybil who answered.

"Dad's just hired a new speechwriter. Apparently, he's quite the find..."

"A new speechwriter?" Mary said, trying to keep her tone neutral. Just a month ago, she had suggested some changes to some of her father's talking points and offered to draft a new speech on local government aid for him...and he had thanked her but blown her off, reminding her that he had a speechwriter to deal with it, and that she shouldn't bother herself worrying about such things. So what was her father doing hiring a new speechwriter now?

"Mary, you've just got to meet him," Robert gushed, turning towards Mary, completely unaware of the burning resentment clouding Mary's dark brown eyes. "I was down meeting with the mayor of Lowell – Bernie, you remember Bernie, he's up for reelection this year – but anyways, it was at this city convention, just the usual political stuff, fundraising, you know, and he tells me I've got to meet his Press Relations staffer because he's absolutely brilliant and he's got a real knack for writing speeches. Well, I met him, and I was completely blown away. He's the nicest man, and he's perfect for politics, really, he's got that rare blend of intelligence and charm. I knew he was good because I stuck around for Bernie's speech, which he wrote, of course, and it was inspired – and usually Bernie's speeches are so dull. I asked around about him after, too, and everyone said he's becoming quite well known in the local campaign circuit."

Mary smiled thinly as her father went on excitedly about this new speechwriter. As any politician had to be, Robert was naturally energetic and friendly, but rarely had Mary seen him this animated. Certainly he never spoke about her that way.

"Well, of course, I had to have him after that. I offered him the job, knowing that it was a risk, but he's been working with my staff for a few weeks now, and I'm so thrilled. Everyone loves him, and his work has been exceptional. He's young, too, a real wunderkind. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in elected office in a few years." Mary raised her eyebrows.

"Grant, you said his name was?" Sybil added. Robert nodded.

"Yes, Grant. Matthew Grant."

"How interesting," Mary said, trying to sound nonchalant. She set her fork down gently on her still-full plate, her appetite gone.

"I've invited him to dinner with us Friday night, at Le Briola? You still coming, aren't you?" Mary nodded distractedly, looking down at her plate. "Are you planning on bringing Patrick, by the way? I forgot." Mary looked up at Robert again, annoyance welling up inside her.

"Of course not. Patrick and I broke up ages ago, remember? Honestly," she snapped.

"Shame. I liked Patrick; he was nice." Edith broke in, sipping her orange juice quietly. Mary barely glanced at her.

"He was dull," Mary replied flatly.

"It's probably for the best. You two were so different, weren't you," Edith said, her tone clearly suggesting that this was more a condemnation of Mary than it was of Patrick. Mary didn't deign to respond, but simply rolled her eyes and stood, dropping her napkin onto the table.

"Well, I'll be off then. I'm already running late. I'm planning on popping by the campaign office quickly to drop off the new polling numbers, I thought about emailing it but I've already told them I'm coming in this morning. Need me to do anything else while I'm there?" Mary worked in the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office in the Policy and Government division, but she was a regular visitor to Robert's campaign offices. She was there almost as much as Robert, who split his time between the campaign offices and his governor's offices in the capital building. But Robert shook his head.

"No, everything seems to be running smoothly. You might see Matthew there though, I wanted him to meet the campaign staff soon and I think he was planning on going today." Mary opened her mouth to respond, a sarcastic remark just on the tip of her tongue, but Robert had already gone back to his breakfast and was now discussing an upcoming dinner fundraiser with Cora. Mary turned on her heel, and with a quick goodbye directed towards Edith, stalked out of the dining room, her smart black heels clicking angrily on the expensive wooden floors.

(Notes: This is a modern AU about Matthew and Mary. I tried to keep most characters true to the original, but I did make Robert slightly more annoying and neglectful of Mary for purposes of the story. I also changed Matthew's last name because having them be cousins in a modern AU is kind of gross - his last name in this fic is Grant (based on Grantham). I also use nicknames- Edie for Edith, Rob for Robert, and Matt for Matthew. The setting is modern-day Boston in Massachusetts, USA. I'm sorry I couldn't keep them British, but I'm not British, and I know nothing about British politics, and I wanted Mary's father to be a political figure. There are a few factual errors which I included on purpose to make the story more clear - for example, the Massachusetts state capital is actually called the State House, but I refer to it as the Capital.


	2. Chapter 2: The Governor's Daughter

Chapter 2: The Governor's Daughter

Mary parked her navy Lexus in the reserved spot in front of the brownstone office building, spinning on her heel as she got out to check her reflection in the car window. She noted with some pleasure that she had coincidentally chosen to wear one of her smartest and most expensive suits: a stylish grey jacket with a nipped in waist and a slim pencil skirt. She straightened the stiff collar of her neatly pressed plum shirt whose color brought out the warm brown of her eyes and tucked her elegant -and equally expensive - black bag under her arm. Striding into the lobby of the office building, she waved in passing to the elderly security guard who sat at the desk in front of the lobby desk before taking the elevator up to the sixth floor, where Mary stepped out into the campaign office.

The office itself was moderately nice: featuring dark wood and beige carpeting, it was rather small, with a receptionist desk out front and a narrow hall to the left with doors leading off into the larger offices. The hall opened at the end to a larger room filled with desks and phones where the interns and lower level staffers worked. Mary could hear the hum of voices from the end room as she approached the desk.

"Good morning, Mary," the receptionist said, looking up and smiling warmly. Mary smiled back.

"Good morning Daisy," Mary replied, glancing at the mail in the incoming basket.

"Have you seen him?" Daisy said, a conspiratorial twinkle appearing in her eye. Mary glanced up from the mail.

"Seen who?"

"The new guy. Matt. He's back there now, he's been here for about an hour and a half." Daisy gestured towards the hall, and just then Mary could hear a tinkling of laughter echoing down the hall.

"Is he? Goodness," Mary said, unable to keep the hint of annoyance out of her voice. Dropping the mail back into the basket, Mary strode down the hall, slowing as she neared the end and stopping just before reaching the corner.

He was facing the desks against the back wall, chatting with the staffers and interns sitting there. None of them had noticed her and she stood silently peeking just around the corner, sizing him up. He was tall, but not terribly so – perhaps just an inch or two taller than her in her heels. His back to her, she looked him up and down once. His clothes were plain, of decent quality but certainly not as nice as hers, and she noticed with petty pleasure a few faint wrinkles in his blue button-up. He had clearly not dressed up to come into the campaign office: from the back, she noted his plain black pants and the way he had rolled the cuffs of his blue dress shirt up to his elbows. She smiled smugly to herself: _this_ was what her father had been raving about? From what she could tell, he looked more suited to be an accountant at some cheap insurance firm, not a wunderkind new speechwriter.

As she watched, he finished laughing and lifted his right hand to look down at the worn leather watch on his hand.

"Christ, it's almost ten o'clock already," she heard him say. He sounded awfully sure of himself, with not the slightest hint of nerves or uncertainty. "I should really get going, it's been great meeting you guys." The staffers he was talking to looked up at him, grinning.

"Are you sure?" Anna, one of the staffers replied. "I think Mary was supposed to be coming in this morning, if you stick around a while longer you can introduce yourself. I'm sure she'd like to meet you." Mary raised her eyebrows at the sound of her own name. But Matthew- that was his name, right?—Matthew just leaned down and picked up a Starbucks cup off the desk he had been leaning against.

"I'd better not," he said, "I'm late as it is. And unlike Mary Crawley, I don't think I can get away with coming in to work at ten-thirty on a Monday morning. I guess we can't all be the governor's daughter, can we?" he said, a mocking tone to his voice. Mary's mouth fell open a moment, her slight disdain for this average looking young man quickly turning to a burning disgust that set her eyes ablaze with fury. How dare he speak like that about her to the staffers? He had only just met them; she had been working with some of them for years, ever since her father's last election. She could hardly believe his audacity.

It wasn't as if she hadn't heard such talk before, though. As the governor's daughter and as a Crawley working in government, she knew most people thought her father had gotten her the position. This was definitely not the first time someone had insinuated that her career had benefitted from her family name and her father's significant influence.

Lifting her chin to a defiant angle and straightening her shoulders, Mary strode into the room, stopping in the middle and turning to face Matthew's back squarely.

"Good morning," she said loudly, her voice the perfect blend of politeness laced with haughtiness. Matthew spun around, his mouth agape, the coffee in his cup sloshing a little. Mary raised her eyebrows the slightest fraction and smiled tightly at him.

"You must be Mr. Grant. My father told me you might be here. I'm Mary Crawley." Mary extended her hand without moving so that Matthew had to stumble forward a bit to shake it. Grasping his hand firmly to the point of aggression, Mary stared at him bluntly, looking him up and down once. He wasn't much more impressive from the front, she decided, although she could see how some could find him charming. With his rather rounded chin, oddly flippy dark blonde hair, and clear blue eyes, he had a boyish, approachable quality about him that would no doubt help him in his political career.

"Yes, he-hello, it's just Matt, actually," Matthew stuttered, his mouth still hanging open a bit. Mary nodded curtly and pulled her hand away, turning her steely gaze on the staffers sitting awkwardly behind him, their faces red at the awkwardness of the situation.

"Good morning," she said to them, her tone a great deal warmer than it had been when she had introduced herself to Matthew. "I'm sorry to run in like this, I just swung by to drop off the newest polling data for Anna." Mary stepped deftly around Matthew and reached into her bag, drawing out a manila envelope and handing it to Anna. "Take a look at the data on approval ratings for public works, would you? The governor just worked with the legislature to pass some new funding for major road repairs, I was thinking maybe we could do some do some publicity to make sure people know about it, and see if that could raise his ratings on that issue. Just something to consider." Anna nodded. Mary turned and took a few steps back towards the hall.

"Well, I'll be off then. Sorry to dash like this," she said to the staffers, barely glancing at Matthew, who was still standing awkwardly in the center of the room, staring at her incredulously, "but I'd better not be any later to make it to the office this morning. I don't suppose that would look good, would it?" she said slyly, and she shifted her gaze to Matthew, staring icily into his wide eyes, "With me being the _governor's daughter_, and all." She let the words slice through the air between them, tilting her chin up slightly in a sort of challenge to a bewildered Matthew, then turned crisply and stalked out the room, anger and bitterness still burning in her chest.

She was still fuming as she exited the lobby, impatiently pulling her sunglasses out of her bag and sliding them on to block out the obnoxiously bright sun. She pulled open the door to her Lexus, shoved her bag into the passenger seat, and was about to climb in herself when she heard the tapping of hurried footsteps behind her.

"Mary." She turned, one hand still on the car door, to face him. He was slightly out of breath, and she realized smugly that he must have raced down the stairs while she had taken the elevator.

"Look, I hope you didn't take anything I said the wrong way. I was only joking, you know, trying to make friends with the staffers and all. I really am looking forward to working with you." The arrogance and charm was gone from his tone now, and all that was left was a genuine earnestness. For some reason, this only annoyed Mary more.

"Oh, of course," she said lightly, "It's hard for me to imagine, having been here my whole life, but you're from Lowell, aren't you? It must be quite terrifying for you, coming to Boston like this - little fish in a big sea and all that. I can certainly understand your wanting to make a few allies, I suppose you never know when you might need them." She smiled coldly as she said the last bit, but her tone suggested that it was more of a threat than anything.

"Welcome to Boston, Matthew," Mary said coldly, Matthew's startled, wide eyes following her as she flipped her hair over one shoulder and got in her car. Mary hardly glanced at Matthew's still unmoving figure growing smaller in her review mirror as she sped out of the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3: Serendipitous, Isn't It?

Chapter 3: Serendipitous, Isn't It?

The ringing of the phone startled Mary, and she looked up from the financial reports that she had been looking over and glanced at the caller ID on her office phone. It was the governor's office. Dropping the reports onto her desk and leaning back into the soft leather seat of her office chair, Mary picked up the handset.

"Hello, Dad," she said tiredly, rubbing her eyes a bit. It had been an awfully long week at work.

"How'd you know it was me?" Mary rolled her eyes slightly, smiling. Her father could be so old-fashioned sometimes.

"Caller ID, obviously."

"Oh. Well, I wanted to talk you about dinner tonight-"

"I was meaning to call you about that, actually," Mary interrupted him quickly. It had been a week since she had met Matthew Grant, and still she felt little pangs of irritation and annoyance just thinking about _that_ disaster. Finally last night she had decided to skip the dinner planned for Friday night. She hated to miss the opportunity to see the rest of her family, but she would much rather _not_ sit through an hour and a half of polite niceties and small talk with the new speechwriter.

"I thought I could go, but it turns out I've actually got a last minute meeting scheduled for five o'clock tonight," Mary continued, hardly skipping a beat on her little white lie. "The reservation is at six, I know, so even if the meeting is over by then, I just won't have enough time to change and make it to the restaurant. I'm sorry."

"Actually, this perfect!" Robert laughed.

"What?" Mary said, her face falling.

"Matthew called earlier and said that something came up, so I had the reservation switched to eight o'clock. Your mother and Sybil and Edith were fine with the change, and I was just calling to run it by you, and since I've changed it to eight, you'll be available too. Serendipitous, isn't it?" he said happily.

"Oh, well, yes..." Mary stuttered a bit, trying to come up with a new excuse, then had to give up and agree. "Yes. How lucky," she responded finally, unable to keep a slight bitterness out of her tone.

"Excellent. See you tonight at eight, then," Robert said happily, hanging up. Mary sighed and placed the headset back into the cradle. So much for her little scheme.

"I'm running late, I know," Sybil said breathlessly, pulling open the car door and tumbling in. Mary just shrugged, used to it. Despite having her own significant share of the trust fund, Sybil insisted on driving an old used car that frequently broke down and spent practically half its time getting repairs. Mary complained about having to drive Sybil so often, but secretly she valued the extra time she got to spend with her favorite sister.

"My feet are killing me," Sybil said, slipping off her pumps as soon as she buckled her seatbelt. As a first-year surgical intern, Sybil was used to spending her days on her feet in worn-out sneakers, unlike Mary, who was rarely seen without her sophisticated designer heels.

"That new guy is coming tonight, right?" Sybil said, once she had settled in. Mary raised her eyebrows. "I wonder what he's like."

"Don't get too excited, he's not that fascinating," Mary answered flatly. Sybil glanced at her.

"You've met him?"

"Briefly. He was there Monday when I swung by the campaign offices."

"What's he like?" Sybil asked curiously.

"He's..." Mary paused, pursing her lips. "He seemed kind of full of himself. Like charming, but in that arrogant way, you know?"

"What makes you say that?" Sybil replied, her brow furrowing a bit. Mary lifted her chin a bit and shrugged carelessly.

"I don't know, just an impression. Anyways, you'll see for yourself in a few minutes. How've things been with you?"

"Busy, but good. Really good. In fact, while we're on the subject of new guys, I've think I've just met someone myself." Mary grinned and glanced away from the road for a moment to study Sybil's slightly blushing face.

"Really? Well done, I knew it would only be a matter of time. What kind of surgeon is he? Neuro? I'll bet he's neuro," Mary teased.

"I didn't meet him at work, and he's not a doctor, actually, he's a mechanic. You know my car's in the shop? He's the one doing the work for me." Sybil explained. Mary laughed a little and cast a disbelieving glance at Sybil.

"You're not serious," she scoffed. Sybil just laughed, unconcerned.

"Don't be such a snob, Mary, he's nice. Kind of political, too, he commented on my campaign bumper stickers...you two would probably get along, now that I think of it."

"I'm sure he is nice, but I just think...I don't know, do you really think you'll have that much in common? I just can't see it, Syb, I'm sorry." Mary said dismissively.

"I think you're being ridiculous, but anyways, it doesn't matter. We've only just met, it's not like I'm running off to elope and have babies with him," Sybil replied lightly.

"I should hope not. Anyways, we're here," Mary said, pulling up in front of the restaurant and stepping out to hand the valet service her keys. "It's good you've come, Syb, I'll probably need a doctor around to revive me during the entree when I die of boredom. And do you think Dad told Matthew that Le Briola has a dress code? I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up in jeans and with his sleeves rolled up," Mary joked snidely, tucking her clutch under her arm as she led Sybil down the stone path to the restaurant door.

(I know that this is moving at a snail's pace, and I'm terribly sorry, but I can't help myself. And I couldn't resist sticking a little Sybil/Branson shout-out in. ;) There will be more Matthew in the next chapter.)


	4. Chapter 4: A Dinner with the Family

Chapter Four: A Dinner with the Family

"Crawley reservation? This way please." The chic young hostess led Mary and Sybil back through the restaurant towards a table tucked back into a quiet corner and half hidden from view by a decorative pillar. Mary steeled herself for what was bound to be an awkward second introduction to the speechwriter, but relaxed as they neared the table – her mother and father rose, smiling, to greet her and Sybil, while Edith glanced up at them from behind a menu. Matthew Grant was nowhere to be seen.

"Mary," her mother said warmly, pulling Mary into a quick hug, "you look just lovely, darling, that's such a fantastic color on you."

"Do you think so?" Mary said, smiling, looking down at herself with false modesty. She was well aware of the way the emerald green chiffon set off her pale skin and clear brown eyes. "And Sybil," Cora continued, pulling Sybil into an embrace as well. "I'm so glad you could make it tonight. You're always so busy at the hospital, I feel as if I haven't seen you for ages!" Sybil laughed.

"I was at breakfast just Monday," she reminded Cora. Mary left Sybil and Cora to catch up and crossed to the other side of the table by her father.

"Mary," Robert welcomed her, leaning down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "How've you been? How's work?"

"Busy," Mary replied simply. She was about to explain to her father the most recent project she had been working on when Edith interrupted her.

"I hope Matthew gets here soon," Edith said flatly. "I'm starved."

"And where is our guest of honor?" Mary said, not bothering to keep the sarcasm from creeping into her tone. "Late, I suppose." Robert flicked back the sleeve of his suit jacket and glanced at his watch.

"You and Sybil were just on time, so I expect he should be..." Robert's voice trailed off and looking up, he broke into a wide grin. "Ah yes, here he comes now, I think." They all turned their heads in the direction that Robert was gesturing, Edith finally getting out of her seat to stand by the table with the rest of the family.

He had not, in fact, shown up in jeans. Instead he was loping towards them in a black suit, the cut very plain but well-fitting. His jacket was unbuttoned to reveal a blue shirt with the top button undone and no tie. Mary smiled smugly a bit upon noticing the way his eyes widened as he took in the pressed waiters' outfits, the candle centerpieces on the crisp linen tablecloths, and the gleaming platters held aloft by passing waiters as he made his way through the restaurant. He shoved his hands into his pockets nervously, and Mary's smirk widened. He was probably more used to mom-and-pop diners. Or McDonald's.

"Matt!" Robert called, stepping towards Matthew as he approached. Matthew looked up, the corner of his mouth rising in an amiable sort of crooked grin. He pulled one hand out of his pocket to return Robert's almost comically enthusiastic handshake.

"So sorry if I'm a bit late," Matthew apologized. "I had the hardest time finding a parking spot." Mary raised her eyebrows. The restaurant had a valet service - had he just ignored them and driven right past?

"Oh, not at all, Mary and Sybil just arrived as well. Come, let me introduce you to everyone," Robert replied, clapping Matthew on the back and guiding him forwards to stand in front of Cora and the sisters.

"This is my wife, Cora; Cora, this is Matthew Grant."

"Just Matt," Matthew insisted, as Cora stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Matt," she repeated," it's so wonderful to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you already. You've made quite an impression on Robert," she teased.

"Have I? Well, that sounds a little ominous," he joked back. Robert laughed and gestured towards Sybil.

"And this is my youngest daughter, Sybil."

"Hello," Sybil said, grinning brightly and returning his handshake energetically.

"My daughter, Edith," Robert continued. Edith took Matthew's hand gently and smiled slowly, gazing rather intently back into Matthew's surprised blue eyes. _Was she trying to be...seductive? _Mary wondered, biting her lip to keep from erupting in laughter. Really, Edith could be so obvious sometimes. Hadn't she any shame? Mary's smile slid from her face, however, as Robert turned towards her.

"And this is my eldest daughter, Mary."

"Yes, we've met, actually," Mary said, raising her eyebrows and offering the obligatory brief, if insincere, smile.

"Have you?" Robert asked curiously.

"Uh, yes, actually," Matthew replied. Was that a blush Mary noticed creeping into his cheeks? "At the campaign offices on Monday, just briefly." Matthew looked as if he was going to reach out to shake Mary's hand, but on catching sight of her impassive face and slightly pursed lips, he instead paused awkwardly, shoving his hands back in his pockets and nodding slightly in her direction. Mary nodded crisply back.

"Well, now that everyone's here, let's have a seat, shall we? Edith was just saying how hungry she was," Robert exclaimed jovially. Mary hardly noticed Edith's mortified expression; instead, Mary was looking around the table quickly, wondering if she could manage to finagle a seat next to Sybil. But there was no hope of that - everyone was already halfway into their chairs and she had no choice but to pull out the empty seat between Matthew and Edith, sighing under her breath as she slid into it, tucking the skirt of her dress beneath her. It was going to be a long night.

"Did you forget to bring your glasses, Robert?" Cora chided, as Robert set his menu before him to pat his suit jacket pockets. "He's always forgetting to bring them to dinner when we go out," Cora explained to Matthew. "So then, of course, I always have to read him the menu out loud."

"Aha!" Robert said finally, reaching into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulling out his reading glasses. "See, I'm not quite as helpless as my wife makes me out to be," he joked, nudging Cora affectionately and slipping his glasses on to peer down at the menu.

Matthew picked up his own menu, his brow furrowing as he scanned the elegant scroll text. Half of it was in French and the other half listed exotic, fancy foods with which he was completely unfamiliar. Mary already knew what she was going to order but glanced down at her menu anyways in boredom. Her mother and father were making small talk with Sybil about the wine list and on her other side was Edith, who kept stealing glances not-so-surreptitiously across Mary at Matthew. Matthew himself didn't seem to notice but rather, glancing first at Robert and Cora who were still conversing with Sybil, leaned towards Mary slightly.

"I've never been here before – what's good?" he asked lightly. Mary looked up at him. His face was so friendly and earnest...her dark eyes glimmered mischievously. She might as well entertain herself. Usually Edith was the victim of her boredom, but perhaps tonight Matthew would do.

"Well," she answered sweetly, "it is a five-star restaurant, so..._everything._" She watched him for a moment, his earnest smile falling a bit in confusion from her sugary tone but completely unhelpful response. He was rescued from Mary's mocking gaze by Robert, who had noticed his hesitation.

"Now, Matt," he said jovially, "of course, feel free to get whatever you would like, but I gotta tell you, the steaks here are excellent. Don't tell Sybil I told you so, though. She's always telling me I should eat less red meat, trying to get me to go vegan or some such nonsense."

"Vegetarian, Dad," Sybil corrected, chuckling. "Not vegan. Even I wouldn't go vegan. And you shouldn't eat so much red meat, it's bad for your cholesterol."

"Well you're not a board-certified doctor yet, so I get to keep my steaks for now," Robert joked.

"Sybil's a surgical intern," Cora explained to Matthew.

"Are you?" Matthew replied interestedly, nodding towards Sybil, "that's very impressive. My mother was a nurse, a few of our family friends growing up were surgeons. Do you know what specialty you want to go into, or is it too early for that?"

"I'm thinking trauma," Sybil answered, "but this is only my first year, so I don't have to commit to a specialty quite yet." Robert's chest swelled a bit, like it always did, as Sybil talked about her plans, while Cora's expression was somewhat more strained. Sybil glanced at her.

"Mom doesn't approve, though," she said lightly, taking a sip of wine. "She would rather I give up on surgery and go into general practice."

"I just know how demanding those surgical programs are," Cora said defensively, "and surgeons have such long hours and they're always on call...it's just so stressful, Sybil, I worry about you."

"I like it. It's what I want," Sybil said simply, shrugging. Mary studied Sybil quietly from across the table. She wondered how Sybil could care so little about what other people thought. Some of Sybil's decisions drove Mary absolutely crazy – her new mechanic boyfriend, for instance, and her ratty old sneakers and rusty, sputtering, useless car –but beneath it all, Mary was terribly envious. Sybil was brave; she didn't need anyone's approval. Mary couldn't imagine feeling like that.

Cora looked somewhat put out by Sybil's flippancy but decided not to push the issue further. Not at dinner, at least.

"So your mother was a nurse?" Cora said, instead, turning back towards Matthew, and changing the subject. "Was that at a hospital in Boston, then? I can't recall where Robert said you were from."

"No, I grew up in Lowell, actually. So she worked in a hospital there as a nurse, and then she moved into the administrative side of medicine ten years ago, and she's been doing that since," Matthew explained.

"That's right, I remember now. Lowell. I've been there a few times with Robert during campaigns, but I'm afraid I don't know much about the city," Cora said apologetically.

"What is there to know about Lowell?" Mary scoffed, laughing coldly as everyone's heads turned to stare at her. "It's a bunch of old factories." Matthew frowned a bit.

"I really like it there, actually. It's a great city – very historical," Matthew replied, his tone slightly defensive.

"Oh, I'm sure. Child labor and factory fires and union riots. Lovely," Mary agreed sarcastically.

"I remember Lowell," Edith broke in eagerly. "I thought it was a fascinating city. I'd love to visit again." Mary didn't even attempt to hide her dramatic eye-roll. Edith hated campaigning, and if she was forced to go, she spent all her time watching premium cable in the hotel room. If she had been to Lowell, the most she had seen of it was whatever was visible from a hotel window. Mary was about to say as much when Cora, who had seen enough of Mary and Edith's fights to know what was coming, quickly changed the subject.

"It must be quite a change for you then, Matt, moving to Boston so quickly," Cora interjected. "You'll have to come over often so we can introduce you to everyone and help get you settled. Do you have any friends or family in the city at all?"

"I don't," Matthew replied, "but my mother got a job at a nursing home in the city, so she'll be moving here just as soon as she finds an apartment near her work. We're pretty close, so it'll be nice to have her around."

"You're bringing your _mother _with you?" Mary asked scornfully, her eyebrows arching sharply above her brown eyes. Robert's and Cora's heads spun sharply in Mary's direction, both of them shooting angry, reprimanding glares towards Mary, who, chastened, smiled thinly. "How sweet," she added.

"But of course you understand how it is to want to stay near family," Matthew replied, meeting Mary's gaze directly. The earnestness was gone from his face now, replaced by a challenging defiance, his blue eyes blazing. "Robert mentioned you two work together quite often. It's so helpful, isn't it, to have family close by?" Mary's eyes narrowed a bit, and she tilted her head slightly, her sharp gaze still locked on his. What exactly was he trying to say? True, it _was_ perhapsa bit hypocritical of her to make fun of him for having his mother move into the city with him when she lived barely twenty minutes from her own parents and worked in an office technically overseen by her father. But still. She remembered the comment he had made in the campaign offices: "_we can't all be the governor's daughter_."

Whatever he meant, Mary had no chance to respond. The waiter had arrived and their conversation ended as the family ordered. Matthew did indeed end up ordering the filet mignon – probably the only two French words he even knew how to pronounce, Mary thought as he handed the waiter the menu – and the rest of the evening passed in a forgettable blur of small talk. Matthew looked a bit confused when the food arrived by the array of silverware surrounding his plate, but Sybil discreetly held up the correct utensil so that only she and Mary seemed to notice Matthew's hesitation.

Mary largely ignored Matthew for the rest of the evening and barely glanced at him again until they had left the restaurant. He held the door open for Cora and the sisters, then followed them out into the brisk night air.

"Thanks again for the dinner, Robert, I've never had a steak half that good," Matthew said as Robert and Mary handed the valet their keys.

"My pleasure, Matt, I'm glad you finally got to meet the family," Robert insisted. Matthew smiled and turned to bid the rest of the family farewell.

"Such a pleasure to meet you," he said, his genuine earnestness returning to his expression as he shook Cora's hand. She clasped his hand in both of hers warmly.

"Now you be sure to come over to the house for dinner soon, Matt," Cora instructed. "And bring your mother, I'd love to meet her."

"She'd love that," Matthew agreed. After shaking Sybil and Edith's hands and wishing them a good night, he finally reached towards Mary. She took his hand quickly, both of them avoiding eye contact, then let go almost immediately, stepping back.

"Good night, Mary," he said politely. She nodded.

"Good night," she repeated, turning away to peer down the street for the valet.

"See you at work on Monday, then, sir," Matthew said finally, as Robert clapped him once more on the back. Mary watched out of the corner of her eye as Matthew crossed the street, shoving his hands back into his pockets, his dark suit blending into the dark night but his blonde hair bright and visible until he turned the corner at the end of the block.


	5. Chapter 5: Expectations

_(Asterisks indicate notes at the bottom.__)_

Chapter 5: Expectations

"What do you think of this one?" Edith called from a few feet away. Mary glanced over at her, scrutinizing the silvery blue satin dress on the hanger dangling from Edith's hand.

"Color's decent, but it's kind of prom-y, don't you think?" Mary turned back to the rack of black dresses she had been perusing.

"I think it's lovely," Cora said, coming up behind Edith and taking dress from her to feel the fabric. "Mary's right about the color, it would go nicely with your complexion. Do you want to try it on?" Edith glanced once at Mary, considering trying it on just to spite Mary, but Mary had already moved on to another rack of gowns halfway across the store.

"No," Edith sighed, taking the dress and returning it with the others, "I don't think so. I'll just stick with this one." She held up the dress she had already tried on: a pretty, if simple, A-line in a dusty-rose pink.

"All right. That cut is so flattering on you," Cora approved, heading with Edith towards the register. "Mary?" Mary looked up from the jewelry stand she had been listlessly browsing. "Did you see anything you liked here?"

"No," Mary sighed, joining her mother and sister at the register as Edith swiped her card. "Nothing caught my eye." Edith rolled her eyes and even Cora's patient smile was somewhat strained, but Mary just continued, "Should we try Neiman's next? They might have something there." She couldn't help that she was a picky shopper, and besides, it had been her mother's idea to go shopping for the benefit they were all attending the next weekend. It was one of those fancy black-tie charity fundraisers that all the political types attended so they could network and show off their altruistic inclinations. The governor liked to take his family along to these sorts of events whenever he could - it looked good, after all, to be such a family man. Sybil was always working and unable to go, but Cora and Edith usually came along. It was part of Cora's duties as a political wife, and Mary suspected that Edith went with hopes of meeting some moderately successful single man. Mary herself didn't mind attending: the events themselves were usually dull, but the networking possibilities were endless. Not to mention, it was a good excuse to buy a new dress.

"Well, my feet are tired and we've been shopping for an hour and a half already," Edith complained as the salesgirl wrapped her dress and handed her the bag.

"How about we get some lunch?" Cora suggested. "It's almost one. We can eat and then pop by Neiman's for Mary."

* * *

"So Mary, how's work been?" Cora asked as they took a seat at the casual bistro just a few blocks down from Neiman Marcus. Mary glanced up suspiciously. Something was odd about her tone.

"It's good, I've been mostly consulting on policy matters..." Mary's voice trailed off as she noticed Cora's scheming smile.

"Sounds interesting. Have you been around to your Dad's offices in the capital much, then? Or the campaign offices?" Mary narrowed her eyes. The Attorney General's offices in which she worked were a block from the capital building - it wasn't unusual for her to make the occasional trip over, but it wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence, either.

"No...I had lunch with Anna yesterday over by the campaign offices, but I didn't stop in," Mary said slowly. Mary had known Anna since she was in college and Anna was volunteering with her father's first gubernatorial campaign. Anna had since been promoted to a full-time, though low-level, staffer, and they had developed an odd friendship over the years. She frequently joined Anna for quick lunches on workdays at the deli across the street from the campaign offices. But Cora didn't seem to be too interested in talking about Anna.

"Why do you ask?" Mary inquired.

"Oh," Cora said lightly, though her eyes were studying Mary carefully, "I just wondered if you had seen Matt around at all."

"Matt? You mean the speechwriter?" Mary clarified, taking a sip of her sparkling water. "Of course not. Whatever made you think of that?"

"Your father and I had him and his mother over for a quick dinner a few nights ago. He seems so nice, doesn't he?" Mary just shrugged.

"I guess, I don't know." What, she wondered, was _with _everyone fawning all over him? He was a local speechwriter, not the Second Coming.

"I thought he was nice," Edith interjected. Cora smiled encouragingly at her. "At dinner, I mean. At Le Briola."

"He was, wasn't he?" Cora shifted her attention back to Mary. "You know, Mary, I wanted to talk to you about that. You weren't very friendly towards him. In fact, you bordered on downright rude. I was not pleased," Cora scolded, pursing her lips in an expression unfortunately rather familiar to Mary.

"Was I? Sorry," Mary apologized, not insincerely, exactly, but not with much conviction, either. Perhaps she had been too hard on him. But what was done was done; she was hardly going to lose sleep over one awkward dinner. Cora huffed a bit, clearly frustrated with Mary's flippancy, but pressed on, a determined smile on her face.

"Your father and I thought maybe you could offer to take him out around the city, some day - show him some of the sights, introduce him to people, help him feel at home here."

"I'm sure he's busy, and I'm not a tour guide," Mary said lightly, starting to get impatient. But Cora wouldn't give up.

"He just moved here, he hasn't got friends in the area. I think it would be nice if -"

"Look," Mary interrupted her swiftly, "If he's as nice as you say he is - and I'm sure he is," she added quickly, so that her mother wouldn't accuse her of rudeness again, "he'll have no trouble making his own friends very soon. I just don't understand this sudden keenness to integrate him into the family. Dad hired him as a speechwriter, he didn't adopt him as a family pet."

"I just think that if you would just be a little more open-minded, you would see that you and Matt have a lot in common." Cora had dropped her coy tone and instead let the words fall plainly around them. Mary's mouth dropped open as she realized what Cora was suggesting.

"Are you serious?" Mary scoffed, laughing a little. "Are you really trying to _hook_ _me up_ with Matthew Grant? I can't even believe this," she said, holding up her hands in exasperation and leaning back in her chair. "This is absurd. Medieval, even. Well, this isn't Fiddler on the Roof, so you can stop right there with the matchmaker routine." Mary glanced around the bistro, praying that the food would arrive so they could quit discussing this ridiculous subject.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Cora said sharply, and Mary twisted back around to stare at her. It was rare - and disconcerting - for Cora to abandon her sweet, easy-going manner. "But let's be honest, your father thinks Matt could really make it big. He's got the background, he's got the talent, he's got the personality. Your father thinks - and I have to say, I agree with him - that Matt could very well end up as governor or senator, maybe even higher if he wants to go national. With your connections? Our name? Our resources? That boy could rise awfully high, awfully fast," Cora finished bluntly. Mary spluttered a bit, completely baffled. It wasn't as if she didn't know there was a darker, slyer side to her family. The Crawley name was a political institution in Boston - in the entire state, even. No one got that far in politics and stayed there for that long without some serious plotting. But still. The whole conversation seemed unreal.

"So Matthew and I join forces, and he gets the money and the donor connections and the support of the Crawley name, then? And what would I get, exactly?" Mary challenged. Cora minced no words.

"Legitimacy," she answered. "You've always wanted to follow in your father's footsteps, haven't you? You're smart, you're ambitious, but you know that while the money and the connections would be an asset to him, they're a liability to you. People see you and all they see is the status, the wealth, the private schools, the big houses, the fancy car. Matt's working class background would help negate all that for you, show that you're not so out of touch with the average constituent. And frankly, if he's powerful, so are you. Maybe not in the way you planned for yourself, but it's still significant." She paused, Mary's face still horrified. "I'm not saying you need to marry the poor guy," Cora went on, softening. "And I'm not trying to _hook you up_, as you so elegantly put it. I'm just suggesting that you not be so dismissive, and that you start considering your options. He's a nice boy, you're both talented and ambitious, you have similar interests, and you've got something to offer each other. So maybe you should just get to know him a little, and see if anything comes of it. That's all I'm trying to say," Cora finished, leaning earnestly towards Mary.

"Well," Mary said, after pausing to compose herself, her voice still tight and irritated, "I appreciate your advice, but I want to be a politician, not a politician's _wife_. If that's what you're looking for then maybe you should be badgering Edie about it," Mary gestured towards Edith, who had been watching the argument quietly from her seat at the table. "Edie seemed to like him," Mary added, smirking slightly as she remembered the way Edith had ogled him across the dinner table.

"I did like him, I guess," Edith said defensively, lifting her chin a bit. "Maybe I will invite him out, show him the city."

"You should, dear," Cora said, smiling at Edith, but still Mary could sense Cora's dissatisfaction. The rest of the lunch took passed in uncomfortable awkwardness, and Mary insisted on returning home rather than going to Neiman's afterwards, preferring to shop for a dress alone rather than spend another minute feeling the weight of her mother's absurd expectations on her already stressed shoulders.

* * *

By the middle of the next week, Mary had largely forgotten her conversation with Cora. Instead she found herself up to her ears in work, drafting opinions and researching the bills coming out of the legislature. She had been so busy working that she had been forced to skip a lunch with Anna on Monday, instead eating half a sandwich and a salad in front of her computer, answering emails. So she was surprised, Wednesday, to find herself with an unexpected visitor.

"Knock knock!" came a jolly voice from the hallway just outside of her half-open door. Mary spun around in her chair, rubbing her eyes a bit. Staring at the computer screen so much was giving her a headache.

"Hey!" she called out, happily but tiredly, grinning. Robert pushed open the door, and strolled in.

"What're you doing here?" Mary asked. She had thought she had heard some commotion from out in the hall, but she had been so busy working that she hadn't gone to investigate. Must have been Robert entertaining the staff - he always liked to joke with the administrative assistants.

"I had a quick meeting with Susan at eleven," he explained, referring to the Attorney General and Mary's boss. "Thought I'd pop in and see if you wanted to grab some lunch quickly." He glanced at the folders strewn around Mary's elegant cherry wood desk and the multiple tabs opened on her laptop and external monitor. "But if you're busy, don't let me disturb you. You always work so hard, I feel bad distracting you," he added apologetically. Mary shook her head, smiling. She always enjoyed these rare surprise lunchtime visits from her dad. And besides, she really needed to take a break.

"No, I'd love to grab lunch," she insisted. "Just give me a quick second to finish this paragraph, would you?" She turned back to her computer, typing the last few sentences of the memo she had been drafting.

"Say, you helped research and draft that letter of support for the worker's comp extension bill, didn't you?" Robert said curiously after a moment.

"I did, yes. Why do you ask?" Mary responded, without looking up.

"Well, I was just reading through over some stuff the Attorney General sent over and I thought I remembered you talking about it a while back." Robert paused and smiled. "It was very tidy, solid work, Mary. Reading over it, I felt very proud of you, you know." Mary looked up from the document in front of her and leaned back in her chair. She remembered telling him about it, but she hadn't thought he had been paying attention. He must've noticed more than she realized.

"Thank you," she said finally, a pleasant flush spreading across her cheeks as she basked in his praise.

"Of course," Robert added, sinking into one of the chairs in front of her desk, "the bill may not pass anyways. Kevin Napier* is on the warpath, trying his best to kill it in committee." Robert rolled his eyes and heaved a beleaguered sigh. A charming, charismatic State Senator, Kevin Napier was a rising star amongst Robert's Republican** adversaries in the Massachusetts legislature. Barring any scandals or unexpected political shifts, State Senator Napier was widely expected to challenge Robert in a few years' time for the governorship, but until then, Robert and the Senator had settled for a polite but somewhat quarrelsome working relationship.

"Perhaps I could persuade the young Senator to change his position on the matter," Robert continued thoughtfully. "He's much more relaxed outside the office, so maybe I'll corner him at the benefit Saturday and talk to him about it. I'm sure he'll be there. You and your mother are coming, aren't you?"

"To the cancer thing this Saturday? Yes. Mom and Edie and I just went dress shopping for it earlier this week, actually." Mary pressed her lips together tightly, reminded of how oddly that trip had turned out. Robert thankfully didn't notice her change in expression.

"Excellent," Robert exclaimed, standing from his chair and clasping his hands together. "Well, shall we go grab some lunch then? I'm starving, how's that café down the block sound?" Relaxing at Robert's usual exuberant enthusiasm, Mary smiled and stood, grabbing her purse and tucking her arm affectionately around Robert's elbow.

"Sounds perfect," she agreed, leading him out of the small office and towards the bright spring day.

* * *

_*Kevin Napier is this fic's equivalent of Kemal Pamuk (there is no equivalent to Evelyn Napier). I changed the name for personal reasons - Kemal reminds me way too much of Deval, which is the actual Massachusetts governor's name, and that weirds me out Hope it's not too confusing for you._

_**This story is largely apolitical, I only have Robert be Democratic because Massachusetts has a heavily Democratic history and the big political dynasty families from Mass. have been Democratic (think, Kennedys)._


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